Vita Obscura
by X5-494
Summary: AU 6th year, Percy still isn’t talking to his family. He refuses to apologize until Arthur does too. Will these two ever see eye to eye? Will Percy ever come back to his family? And is there more to Percy than meets the eye?
1. Chapter 1

Vita Obscura

Disclaimer: I don't own HP, and I'm broke, so don't sue. K thanks!

AU 6th year, Percy still isn't talking to his family. He refuses to apologize until Arthur does too. Will these two ever see eye to eye? Will Percy ever come back to his family? And is there more to Percy than meets the eye?

Nine pm at the Ministry of Magic found the night time janitors cleaning the almost completely empty halls. One usual fixture however was still in his office, the scratching of a quill across parchment the only sound heard. Percy Weasley was always one of the first to arrive in the morning, and last to leave. At the tender age of merely 21, he was one of the youngest ministry employees, and certainly the most powerful of his age. While Scrimgeour was the public face of the Minister for Magic, Percy was actually the one doing most of the work. He was the one keeping the economy running and doing well, meeting with foreign dignitaries to improve diplomatic relations and keeping the ministry running like a well-oiled machine. Scrimgeour was an ex-Auror who knew how to function in war, but he was not Minister for Magic material. Even Scrimgeour himself knew it, and was delighted to discover that his Assistant could competently run the rest.

While he could run it and do his own job, it also meant that he worked longer hours than anyone else to get the job done. A knock at the door startled him out of his own thoughts and reminded him that he wasn't the only one working long hours these days. Not even a second after calling for his visitor to enter, Kingsley Shacklebolt stood in his doorway. One disadvantage of having an ex-Auror for a Minister was that his Auror friends, Shacklebolt mainly, were prone to stopping by. Percy also had it on good authority that Shacklebolt was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, a rebel group his family was also a part of.

"Percy! Here late again?" asked Kingsley as he casually took in the office around him.

"One of those days," replied Percy tensely. Kingsley Shacklebolt was not an unobservant man and he seemed to be taking a special interest in Percy and the work he was doing. Only very few people knew what Percy did at the ministry, and he did not need Kingsley to be one of them.

"Seems I've heard that from you before," laughed Kingsley as he took a seat in the one of the lavish seats before Percy's immaculately kept desk. "Odd that you have such long nights so often when the Minister himself goes home promptly at five every evening," Kingsley observed as he leaned back in the chair to study the Assistant in front of him.

"Maybe I just work slower," replied Percy. While he certainly didn't want to insult himself and his work ethic, he hoped that it would throw Shacklebolt off whatever trail he seemed to be on.

Kingsley couldn't contain his snort at Percy's absurd excuse. He didn't believe for a second that Percy could even possibly be working slowly. The amount of completed work that left his office on a daily basis was testament to that. Using that as his cue to make the purpose of his visit known, Kingsley produced a document from his robes and placed it on the desk in front of Percy. "The Auror's office received this today. It's the budget for next year."

"Is there something wrong with it?" asked Percy, already knowing it was perfect having written it himself.

"Nope," replied Kingsley. "In fact, the work is actually absolutely perfect. Too perfect for an ex-Auror-come-Minister. It led me to look a little closer at it, particularly the signature."

Percy leaned forward to glare at the Auror and said, "The Minister's signature looks just fine to me." Although Kingsley didn't miss the fact that Percy Weasley hadn't even glanced down at the paper in question.

Kingsley leaned forward to match Percy and replied, "Oh the signature looks perfect, but a quick casting of plagirius showed that the Minister did not sign this document, his Assistant forged it. Kingsley leaned back and relaxed in the chair, waiting for Percy's reaction.

Percy, faced with the fact that Shacklebolt was apparently a lot smarter that he let on, leaned forward, hands folded and in a cold voice responded, "What do you want?"

While Kingsley wanted Percy on edge, he didn't want the Assistant to think he was being interrogated and moved to reassure him. "I'm not planning on telling the Ministry of this, don't worry. I merely like to know who is actually pulling the strings at the ministry."

"The Minister for Magic, obviously," answered Percy sarcastically.

"And if I check all of the other documents that the Minister has been issuing lately? Am I going to find them written by Scrimgeour, or by you Percy?"

"_What_ do you want?" repeated Percy.

"I already told you, I just want to know the truth Percy."

"Fine. I run the economy, I rewrite laws, I sign your pay check. Is that what you wanted to hear Shacklebolt?" asked Percy tersely.

"I'm sure that's much closer to the truth anyway," replied Kingsley, happy to have his suspicions confirmed. He stood up and turned to leave when Percy's voice called out to stop him.

"Just what do you plan on doing with that information, Auror Shacklebolt?" Percy was standing now.

"It's Kingsley, Percy. And nothing much. I told you already, don't worry about it. You'll just have to trust me," Kingsley smiled as he turned and left, leaving a stunned Percy behind his desk.

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Why is it important that Percy has so much power, and that Kingsley now knows? Check out chapter two coming your way soon....Although if I were to somehow get like....I don't know 10 reviews??? That might make it a lot faster :D.......and no, I am not above bribery lol.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Short (actually fairly long) AN**: Alright, so I suck at updating. There. I said it. Acceptance is the first step to recovery right? In all honesty, I have no good excuse for not updating for 647 days. Real life got hectic, and I was too lazy to sit down at my computer and actually start typing. Okay so I had time to read a lot of stories, watch a lot of TV, and play a lot of video games, but yes, too lazy to write a story. So to ensure that I don't abandon this story, I'm calling on you guys **(I hope you're still reading!)**. You can message/tweet me on twitter (Spitfire_21) and annoy the heck out of me until I update. All messages/tweets go straight to my cell phone, so it's a sure fire way to get me to sit down and write. The more annoying you can be; the better! :) Also, I do not have a beta reader, so please forgive all spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, or pure stupidity contained within. If you'd like to volunteer to beta read for me, I would much appreciate it, feel free to message me.

Without further delay, on to chapter 2! _(You'll probably need to reread chapter 1, I know I did!)_

**Vita Obscura, Chapter 2**

Over a week had gone by since Shacklebolt had discovered his little forgery, and he hadn't slept a wink since. The Auror had not said a word to anyone about what he had discovered, at least as far as Percy himself knew. So what had he gained from the discovery? Percy wanted to confront the man, but the week had been hectic with increased death eater activity and he hadn't been able to talk to the man. As it was the end of the week however, he knew he had to make his move. Shacklebolt would have the weekend off as a senior Auror, and Percy did not fancy spending the weekend as sleepless as he had spent the week.

Deciding to finish the rest of his work when he came in Saturday morning, he headed down to the Auror offices, only to stop dead at the sound of his father's voice coming from within Shacklebolt's office.

"Absolutely not Kingsley! He made himself perfectly clear that he wants nothing to do with us, or the Order!"

"I know you're still angry with him Arthur, but hear me out," pleaded the Auror.

"Percy is not going to join the order, and I honestly doubt it would be a good idea to let him join even if he wanted to. Dumbledore would never go for it either. He's proven time and again that his allegiance is to the Ministry. He would give us up in a heartbeat if the minister were to ask him to, if it would get him a promotion!"

"That's not fair Arthur!" Kingsley shouted. "He may have shown that he has different political views then you have, but that doesn't make him a rat. Whether he shows it or not, he loves his family. Did you know there is a picture of the lot of you in his desk drawer? He would never betray his family. As for Dumbledore, he has already approved my recommendation. He knows it will be difficult for you and the rest of your family, so he's left the final decision to you. "

"I'm asking you to reconsider my proposal. Percy is interconnected to everything that goes on in the ministry, and besides that, people here trust him. They tell him things because they know he will keep his mouth shut. Having Percy attend Order meetings would give him a chance to put everything he knows together to help us stop Voldemort's infiltration of the Ministry. There is no one else who has anywhere near the information we'd need to do that, not even the Minister himself."

"Fine Kinsley, I'll give my permission, for the good of the Order. If he really has the kind of pull in the Ministry to pull this off, I have no write to deny the Order that chance. I don't like this, and if I know anything about my son, he won't go for it, but good luck in convincing him," conceded Arthur wearily.

"I have no doubt you'll see him at the next meeting Arthur, I will see you Saturday night, with Percy," Kingsley said with a laugh as Arthur floo'd from his office.

"You may as well come in now Percy, as you've heard the whole conversation anyway."

"Spying is frowned upon, in case you hadn't heard," Kingsley said, smiling as Percy entered the office.

"So is committing people to do things they have no intention of ever doing Auror Shacklebolt," Percy shot back. There was no way he was joining the Order, and the Auror was out of his mind if he thought otherwise!

"I think you'll change your mind on that one Percy, and I've told you, call me Kingsley."

"I highly doubt it Auror Shacklebolt. There is nothing you could say that would convince me to join your damn order!"

"I think you'll find that you really do want to join the Order. That is, if you don't want to Wizengamot to find out that the Minister hasn't actually been signing, nor writing, a single thing since taking office."

"You're blackmailing me!" Percy screeched incredulously.

"Think of it more as encouragement to make the right decision. You'd be an asset to the Order, but you'd also be helping the Ministry. You're smart Percy; you know that the Ministry has been infiltrated with death eater and pure blood sympathizers. We need to be able to weed them out Percy, or the Ministry will fall. You're the only one with enough access to help us do that."

Percy couldn't believe that the lead Auror was blackmailing him into joining an illegal militant group. The irony of it was not lost on himself, or the Auror in question. Before he had a chance to even think about it, Shacklebolt threw his arm over Percy's shoulder and escorted him out of the office to the main entrance to the Ministry. With a quick smile his way, he told Percy he'd be there to pick him up at noon on Saturday for his first meeting.

Percy stood there dumbfounded before returning to his office. There was no way he was going tomorrow, and he needed to think of a way out of it. Though if that failed, he had work to catch up on if he was going to take the afternoon of the next day. He was in for a long night!


End file.
